Chapter Text
Lisa rushed through the glass doors with a minute to spare, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw the other parents sat in the viewing area with no child in sight. She had rushed back from a weekly shop to pick Betsy up, indecisive people standing in her way while they weighed up the pros of brown rice over white long grain rice and turning her errand run into a race against time.
Betsy was her daughter; her sassy, energetic eight-year-old daughter, who had started classes at an aerial fitness studio just under a month ago. It was a gift for her birthday, but also a desperate attempt to get her daughter into a hobby and burn her energy off. Lisa had tried multiple classes for her daughter: football, gymnastics, dance, even swimming. But nothing seemed to grab hold of Betsy’s attention. Gymnastics held it the longest, but a change in her coach and a “mean” comment made Betsy declare she didn’t want to go back.
She had mentioned it to her colleague, DC Kit Green, during one of their many long and tedious stakeouts, and he suggested this place. It was similar to gymnastics which she knew Betsy did enjoy, but it was different. It offered a different skill, and so far Betsy loved it. And if Betsy loved it, then Lisa was happy. And it also had Betsy fighting sleep by eight o’clock every Saturday night, so it was a win win.
The blonde mum hastily found a spot on one of the viewing benches, the black cushion climbing the wall like stairs as she spotted her daughter sitting in a hoop suspended in the air. She looked tiny, but her confidence filled the room as she held on, feeding one leg behind her before she tucked into a ball and rolled forward so fast Lisa almost missed it. She grinned as Betsy received praise from her instructor, her smile growing even more when her mini-me looked over and spotted her before letting out a squeal over her accomplishment being seen by her mum.
The children were then called to cool down, giggling amongst each other as they competed to stretch the furthest. The other mums were discussing the class, clearly luckier than her and having the capability to sit for an hour to watch their child, but Lisa stayed to herself and let her eyes wander around the studio. The design was immaculate, oozing sophistication and class, and had a real sense of security. Like you could be who you wanted to be. The walls were mainly a light wood wall panel, with the walls behind them painted black to create a contrast. Warm white LED lights ran around the top of the walls to give that soft, safe feel. The floor was the same colour as the panelling, and it ran through to the different rooms that were separated by glass doors and windows.
Lisa knew they offered adult classes here, offering pole classes as well as hoop, sling and silks. She could see the poles in the room closest to the main entrance, the silks hanging down from the ceiling in the room next, and then the room Betsy was in at the end. Her room was filled with four hoops and four slings to allow the children to try both skills, with what looked like a wall divider pushed to one end so they could separate the space and have two classes running at once if needed.
Lisa stood as the children were being brought to the door, excited to hear all about her daughter’s class. Betsy’s main instructor, who Lisa knew was Kit’s girlfriend Sarah, headed out of the room and down to another, while her assistant Nina escorted the children out and made sure they went to their respected adult. Betsy quickly turned to get her coat and shoes from the rack before bounding over, her blonde curls escaping her ponytail as she crashed into Lisa’s legs.
“Did you see my roll, mummy? Did you see it?!” She enthused, Lisa giggling as she bent down to help Betsy into her coat. “And I got Star Student, look.” She fought against the material being brought over her chest, eager to show her mum the sticker she had on her shirt.
“I did see your roll, superstar!” Lisa grinned at her as she called her the same as what her sticker said, Betsy’s nose scrunching up in that adorable way it always did when she was overly happy about something. Lisa tried to zip up Betsy’s coat, but the little blonde refused as she wanted to show her sticker off, so they compromised with the zip only going up to her waist. Lisa then took her over to the seats so she could put her shoes on. She usually let Betsy do it herself but she wanted to get home to her comfy clothes and a cup of tea. “You got everything?” She asked as she stood up, taking Betsy’s little hand.
“Ye-” her little girl started, but then gasped, “-no!” Betsy let go of her hand as she rushed back over to Nina, the assistant holding her water bottle with a knowing look.
“Thank you, Miss. Nina” Betsy giggled as she took the bottle in both hands.
“You’re welcome, see you next week,” the young woman called after her as Betsy took off again.
“Now I’ve got everything,” she declared with an assuring nod, Lisa taking the bottle from her and rejoining their hands. The other mums had left, Lisa being the last one, and as she headed towards the door with her daughter chattering away beside her, her only focus was getting Betsy home and putting her shopping away.
But her daughter had other ideas. Lisa heard a gasp next to her, looking down as Betsy pointed to her right: “mummy look at her boots!”
She looked over, seeing Sarah and another woman turn their attention away from their conversation to look at her daughter. Lisa did see the high heeled boots: red, shiny, and thigh high. She also saw the woman wearing them: brunette, a figure to die for, and utterly beautiful.
The woman in question had on a black velvet one piece, the top shaped like a normal sports bra with a V cut at the chest. But the material from each cup crossed over each other, the fabric running over her ribs and leaving a cutout around her toned stomach, before it joined onto the bottoms which were high rise and made her legs look like they went on for days. Lisa’s mind immediately envisioned her hands running over the velvet, creating patterns with her fingertips as she got lost in the woman’s intense yet captivating eyes.
Her eyes widened, taken aback by the immediate intimate thought about a woman she didn't know. Yet she couldn't stop them coming thick and fast, a hot flush rising through her body in less than a second and highlighting her cheeks in a rosy tint.
Lisa knew she was staring for a time long enough to be considered inappropriate, so she coughed to gain her a second to get over her shock, muttering a “yeah they’re very pretty”, before offering both women an apologetic smile as she tried to continue their journey. But Betsy let go of her hand again, walking over to get a closer look.
“Betsy darling they were talking, come on.” She tried to coax her away, but her stubborn mini-me was on a mission.
“Our little superstar today” Sarah greeted her daughter, neither woman seeming bothered by the intrusion.
“Do you dance in these?” Betsy asked, her eyes wide and her tone in awe as she looked up at the woman Lisa couldn’t stop staring at. She hadn’t seen her here before, clearly another instructor at the studio.
The woman knelt down in front of Betsy, the boots covering her entire lower body as she did so, the heels so high Lisa wondered how she was even crouching in them. “I do, kiddo. And maybe someday you will too. But focus on your hoop and sling for now and you’ll be unstoppable.” The woman then gently tapped Betsy’s nose with her finger, making the little girl laugh as the woman stood up. Lisa felt the mysterious woman’s gaze on her as she did so, seeing a slight smirk tug on the brunette’s lips as she stood up straight.
“Bye Miss. Sarah, bye Miss. Carla,” Betsy waved at them as she walked back to her mum, taking Lisa’s hand once again and keeping it there. Lisa also offered an awkward wave and goodbye, thanking Sarah for the class as they finally made it out to the car. Betsy climbed into the back, swinging her legs from her booster seat as Lisa strapped her in and made her way into the driver’s seat.
As she started driving home, handing Betsy her carton of Ribena which had become a little tradition after every class, Lisa couldn't stop her mind racing through thought after thought of the woman in the boots.
Why had Lisa never seen her before? Was this magnetic pull she was feeling mutual? Why did she suddenly want to know everything about her? Lisa had barely been involved with another woman since Betsy’s mum, maybe two first dates in nearly eight years. Yet here was this woman, the only thing she knew about her was that physically she was attractive, yet Lisa had a feeling in her stomach that she hadn’t felt in years.
She looked in the rearview mirror, seeing Betsy happily sipping on her drink and admiring her sticker, and decided to put her detective skills to the ultimate test:
“So Bets, who’s Miss. Carla?”